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The Black Soul of a Man in Black

I have been owning Capucci Anima Nera for almost three months now, waiting for a cooler season, and soon the right time has come. If you are anything like me, you'll know that lately, Roberto Capucci has been releasing colognes that remind, but are not a rip-off, the most sought-after and expensive scents like Aventus Creed (Evento), Bleu de Chanel (Blu Water), and Dior Sauvage (l' Homme Suave) just to mention a few. Right of the bat, when I noticed this latest release on the shelf, labeled Anima Nera (e.g. Black Soul) my mind thought about Black Afgano, yet I was wrong.
When I smelled it, I immediately put a scene in my head: silk shirts and dark leather couches, a good cigar and an aged Islay whiskey. I feel like there's a story with every note of this perfume. Anima Nera is miles apart from Black Afgano, it is something in the same room as V&R Spicebomb and Bvlgari Man in Black and ain't a secret that the two of them are interchangeable and closely akin one another.

By the way, let's see what sort of juice is hidden in such a black bottle with a golden cap. First things first, intrepid and charismatic, the Capucci Anima Nera EDP is a contemporary neo-Oriental fragrance that presents irresistible and contrasting masculinity, appearing as a vibrant, powerful and utterly compelling aroma. It opens with the intensity of a boozy liqueur and peppery spices, yet there is a hint of smoky and sweet tobacco that doesn't smell like cigarette smoke but a little like cinnamon to me. The spice accord doesn’t go too overboard and seems to be tempered by the leather and tobacco notes which is a smooth complement to the main notes, it is subtle and smells manly, and it has somewhat of a CH Men Prive vibe in the opening and Spicebomb as well.

The extremely seductive combination of the opening notes sparks a captivating contrast with a blooming heart of hypnotic tuberose and powdery iris. Rarely used the tuberose flower in a masculine fragrance, the flower is a magnetic ingredient traditionally used in women’s perfumes, which flawlessly shines here among the spices and resins. And the iris is powdery, dusty, without the lipstick effect. Both iris and tuberose are not dominant, play in the background, and well blend with prestigious leather.

In the base, an ambery combination of dainty resins like benzoin I guess, sweet coumarin essence from vanilla pods or maybe roasted tonka beans, and woody dark notes show their irresistible appeal. As Anima Nera dries down, the tuberose starts to fade and the iris turns its volume down to an agreeable level.

Performance is good, longevity is decent, not sure about sillage, even though the woman sitting next to me yesterday evening was pleasantly sniffing every whiff of it. As an EDP, the scent lasts almost half the day and then you can touch up just before you knock off for it to go on for the rest of the day. On what occasions will I wear it to? Parties with my friends or to meet that special person whom I want to impress, evening and dinner out and clubbing in cold weather when it’s crisp outside, fall and winter are perfect for it. It is Voluptuous, Sultry, Dark, Intoxicating, Spicy, Opulent and Mysterious. Not everyone loves it, but the ones who do, seem to go nuts for it. That’s always a plus, in addition to me, really liking to wear it.